


The Kiseki

by live_love_draw_anime



Category: Kuroko no Basuke | Kuroko's Basketball
Genre: Gen, Not really a romance fic, miracle hunters, miracles are actually superhuman powers AU, slight AoMomo, the generation of miracles are really miracles
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2015-07-22
Updated: 2015-08-23
Packaged: 2018-04-10 17:36:01
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 8
Words: 12,365
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4401098
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/live_love_draw_anime/pseuds/live_love_draw_anime
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>*Basic story idea inspired by GoldenHero's "The Color in Me".*</p><p>There are people in this world who are different. Unique. Miracles.</p><p>They carry a special power, a power that defies human logic, and for that reason, they are feared. Over the past few decades, special government soldiers called Miracle Hunters have systematically wiped out all but six Miracles. Those six are always on the run, spread out over the globe in hopes of escaping the attention of the Hunters.</p><p>Teikou Institute: A facility that was recently created for the sole purpose of tracking down and saving Miracles. The young Trackers travel around the world in hopes of finding the last six Miracles. However, Teikou's leaders are hiding a secret ultimate goal. And when this secret is uncovered, the Miracles will discover that Teikou isn't the safe haven they dreamed it would be.</p><p>All KnB characters belong to Tadatoshi Fujimaki.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Kise

**Author's Note:**

> First Kiseki no Sedai fic! Hope you enjoy it!^^

Fifteen year old Irish Kise Ryouta shoved his blond hair out of his golden eyes as he weighed his options. He could either go for the meat pie, or he could leave it. If he decided to go for it, he might get caught.

If he left it, he'd still be hungry.

It was obvious which was clearly the more sensible choice.

Shifting his appearance to take on that of a small child, he darted to the merchant's cart, snagging the small savory pie he'd had his eyes on. The merchant, still preoccupied with haggling another customer, didn't bat an eye. Kise smiled to himself as he scurried away, shifting back to his original self and clutching the pie to his stomach. Ah, he couldn't wait to dig into it, tear through the crispy crust with his teeth and taste the salty, juicy meat on the inside-

"Hey! You!"

Well, that would have to wait until later. Kise glanced behind him to see a black haired man with steely blue eyes running towards him. He wore a plain white jacket with a light blue undershirt and a black tie. He looked...excited?

Well, Kise wasn't going to stick around to find out why. For all he knew, that man could be a Miracle Hunter, and it was bad news to run into one of those people. They were ruthless killers who hunted down the Miracles, fearing their power.

Miracles were people who had some type of strange power, though it varied from person to person. But because of that power, they were feared and unwelcomed in society. For that reason, the government had organized a highly skilled group of soldiers specifically trained to hunt and kill Miracles, hence their name.

Those soldiers had done their job well. Too well. From what Kise had heard, there was a mere total of six Miracles left in the world, him being one of them. He had no way of knowing who the others were, as they had scattered throughout various countries in hopes of escaping the hunters.

Kise himself had lost his own mother to the Miracle Hunters after his father turned her in to the authorities. He had known she was a Miracle upon marrying her, but the stress and anxiety between them had finally become so high, his father had cracked under the pressure. Late one night, the Hunters came to take her away, and Kise never saw her again.

He was eight at that time. Two years later, he discovered his own Miracle power and fled his home, leaving his now depressed father before he turned him in as well.

Kise had been surviving on the streets for five years now, and had successfully managed to stay under the radar, but that seemed to be changing now. Whoever this guy was, he was after him for something more than just stealing a meat pie.

Kise ran as fast as he could, but he could hear the man's footsteps drawing closer and closer. If he could just make it around that corner, there would be a thin pipe he could climb to the rooftop-

"Waah!" A piece of broken pipe seemed to appear under his feet without warning. Kise stumbled and dropped his meat pie; not that he cared at this point. That one slip up was enough to tip the balance in the man's favor, and Kise found himself caught by the wrists and shoved against the wall of a building.

"Don't kill me!" He gasped, twisting in his captor's grasp. "I don't wanna die!"

"Quit struggling," the man said in a firm voice. "I'm not going to harm you."

Up close, Kise could see that his captor wasn't really that much older than him, perhaps by a few years at most. But he was strong, and no matter how much Kise thrashed, he simply could not escape. "If you're not gonna kill me, then what do you want?"

"I saw what you did," the man (or boy, perhaps?) said. "How did you change your appearance like that?"

"What are you talking about?" Kise frowned, playing dumb. "I didn't do anything except steal that meat pie, but that's not a big deal!"

The man ignored him. "You are," he began, squinting at him with those piercing gray-blue eyes, "a Miracle?"

Kise froze, his blood turning to ice. "N-no! I'm not what you think! Let me go!"

The man sighed, tightening his grip. "You shifted your appearance to that of a child. Are you a shapeshifter?"

Kise didn't reply. The man looked exasperated. "I'm not here to hurt you. I want to help Miracles like you, so you can live a normal life. You'd like that, wouldn't you? Besides, if I were a Hunter, you'd be dead by this point. Isn't that their policy? Kill on sight?"

Kise narrowed his eyes, unsure whether or not he could trust this person. "You want...to help people like us?" Then he laughed bitterly. "It seems like you're a little late for that. I heard there's only six left in the world."

"That's why our people are trying to save you. Some people fear you, but we think you deserve a shot in life, just like everyone else. If you come with me back to America, we can help you achieve that. All we ask in return is the okay to conduct a bit of research, to see what gives you people the powers you have."

Kise sighed. "Who are you?"

The man gestured to his outfit. "I belong to an organization called Teikou Institute. I'm one of their Trackers, and I work to locate and protect Miracles. My name is Kasamatsu Yukio. And yours is?"

Kise closed his eyes, deliberating. If he went with this man, he could potentially gain a life he'd never had before. He could escape the street life and the constant threat of Miracle Hunters...if Kasamatsu was telling the truth.

Besides, what did he have to lose at this point? At least if he accepted his offer, he had a _shot_ at a better life. Of course, he might also be subjected to torture and strange experiments...

...but still.

"I'm Kise Ryouta."

Kasamatsu smiled. "Nice to meet you, Kise. By the way, what is your power?"

"I'm a copycat. I can change my appearance to mimic anyone else, as long as I've seen that person before. And I can mimic other people's movements." Kise replied tersely, still a bit untrusting.

"How interesting! Well Kise, what do you say?"

This was it...

"Well...alright. But only if you buy me another meat pie."


	2. Kuroko

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Kuroko's life is explored.

Fifteen year old Kuroko Tetsuya was a shadow. Literally.

He was quite proud of that fact, too. Although, no one really cared except him. But he was still proud.

When he first discovered he was a Miracle, it was at the age of seven. Thankfully, he'd heard about the dangers, so he kept his mouth shut. Not even his parents found out. They never really noticed him anyway. So, at the age of ten, he ran away, disappearing into the shady parts of France like the shadow he was. His parents only realized he was missing several months later, but didn't bother to alert the authorities.

So Kuroko was on his own early on, fending for himself against gang members and pickpockets. Of course, he was never very strong or very big, so whenever he was faced with trouble, he merely disappeared. If a gang threatened to beat him up, he would slip away with his weak presence, then melt into the shadows. It always left people shocked and confused, and Kuroko couldn't help but enjoy it.

He would be a wonderful assassin, he mused to himself one night as he bit into an apple that he'd 'borrowed' from a street vendor. He definitely had the silent part down. As for deadly...well, he needed to work on that.

"Woof!"

Kuroko smiled at the sight of his dog. The blue eyed pooch came bounding up to him, wagging his tail and bouncing eagerly into his lap. "Hello, Nigou," he murmured, holding the canine close. "I'm sorry, I have no food for you today."

Nigou seemed to understand his words, his ears falling and his tail slumping dejectedly. He sniffed Kuroko's pockets, whining. Kuroko sighed, petting the animal. "Tomorrow I'll get you something, alright?"

He fell asleep with the dog curled around him.

**********************************

Kuroko awoke the next morning to a stiff neck and a ball of fluff wrapped around his middle. Groaning, he stretched out on the hard cement floor, pushing Nigou off of him. The dog cracked open one blue eye and eyed him hopefully.

"Alright," Kuroko conceded. "I'll get you something to eat." Standing up, he gave Nigou a pat, told him to stay, and jogged off towards the nearest general store. He casually walked inside, trailing behind another customer. The clerk at the door didn't even notice him.

He made his way purposefully to the the pet care section, and picked up a small bag of dog food. The larger ones would last longer, but he doubted that even he would be able to smuggle a 30 pound bag of food out the door.

The trip out of the store went without incident. Kuroko merely walked through the glass doors after peeling off the label on the bag that would set the alarm to ringing if he passed through with an unscanned item. Once again, the clerk only rubbed his eyes sleepily and flipped a page in his magazine.

Nigou was waiting dutifully when he returned. He danced about, chasing his tail when he lay eyes upon the food. Kuroko crouched down to feed the dog. Suddenly, a disturbance in the alley caused him to look up. A shady looking man was trying to conceal himself behind a dumpster, at the same time fumbling with a gun. He failed to notice Kuroko standing a few feet behind him as he eyed the passerby, obviously looking to rob one of them.

"Heh, gonna get myself a bundle, gonna strike it rich today," the man muttered to himself, watching a young girl approach the alley. "And no one's out this early, so there'll be no witnesses, and-"

"Excuse me," Kuroko said blandly.

The man let out a squeal to rival any woman's and jumped out from behind the dumpster, dropping his weapon. "What the--where did you come from?!?"

The situation might be viewed as comical by any bystanders. The man was pale and shaking, clutching his heart as he stared at Kuroko in shock.

"I was here the entire time," Kuroko replied blankly, his face not betraying a single emotion. "And you shouldn't do that. Stealing out of absolute necessity is different from stealing for the reasons you do."

The man recovered from his shock enough to let out a bark of laughter. "Stupid kid, whadda you know!? I'll do whatever I want!"

Kuroko merely shrugged. "Harming others is wrong as well. I will have to report you to the authorities if you continue to display such behavior."

The man's face turned ugly. "You looking for a beating, kid?"

"No," Kuroko said, his wide blue eyes unblinking.

The man snarled, slinking towards him. "Well, you've just earned yourself one!" Suddenly, the man's face changed to one of pure shock as a piece of pipe collided with the side of his head. "Wha...you!" He choked out before collapsing to the floor, unconscious.

A tall, muscular redhead stood over the fallen figure. His matching crimson eyes stared at Kuroko, incredulous. "What, were you just gonna stand there and let him hit you?"

Kuroko eyed the stranger, nonplussed. "Who are you?"

The redhead frowned, annoyed. "Just a guy who won't stand for letting a defenseless little kid get beat up."

"I am neither defenseless, nor little," Kuroko objected, a bit irritated by the redhead's description of him. "I am fifteen."

"Fifteen!" The redhead jerked back in surprise. "You sure you're not ten, kid?"

Kuroko was getting annoyed. "I am perfectly aware of my age."

The redhead snorted, shoving his hands in his pockets. "Well, I've wasted enough time. There's someone I'm supposed to find." He turned to walk away, but then stopped and faced Kuroko as if struck with an idea. "Hey kid, have you seen anyone strange in these parts? There's been rumors of the 'Phantom Boy' or someone, and I kinda wanna know if those rumors are true." But the way his eyes were narrowed and gleaming told Kuroko that there was definitely a greater reason than just simply _wanting_ to know.

Every alarm in his body went off. _Miracle_ _Hunter_! his mind screamed. _Run_! But Kuroko only replied calmly, "I have not seen anyone like that in this area. Rumors are rumors. I doubt it is true." The redhead scratched the back of his neck, sighing. "Oh well then. Sorry for the trou-huh! Where'd you go?!"

Kuroko had disappeared.

**********************************

Kagami sighed heavily, rubbing his forehead with one hand as he wandered the streets of Paris. He'd been searching all day for the rumored Miracle, trying to dig up information at local shops, asking random people on the streets, but nothing bore fruit. "Ugh, this is _difficult_!"

He remembered bragging to Kasamatsu about how _he'd_ be the one to locate his Miracle first. But Kasamatsu had returned to headquarters a couple days back, grinning as he introduced an overly cheerful and _extremely_ good looking blond kid to Teikou's leaders.

Man, he was really getting nothing done out here. It was partially his fault, since he'd stopped that one time to save that little blue haired kid. Jeez, that boy was a _shrimp_. Fifteen? Yeah right.

But this was it, he wouldn't stop to help anybody, even if they were about to get robbed, because he was a man on a mission and-

"Who do you think you are, shorty?"

Oh Lord.

Kagami could hear the gang member's voices coming from another small alley just ten feet from where he stood. From the sounds of their snickering and jeering, they'd obviously cornered easy prey.

_Just keep going_ , he told himself. _Just walk right by and ignore it, it's not your business, don't think about it, don't be tempted to help--oh screw it, what am I thinking!_ Kagami sighed deeply for the third time that day. He hadn't earned the nickname 'Commander of Justice' for nothing.

He prepared to make a grand entrance, pulling out his piece of pipe he'd grabbed earlier, but stopped short once he realized who the victim was.

"You _again_?" Kagami muttered as he stared at the little blue eyed kid. No wait, _fifteen_ year old. Excuse him.

No one had noticed him yet, so Kagami stayed hidden. Obviously, this kid was stupid enough to keep picking fights with the wrong people. Maybe a hit or two would teach him a lesson, and _then_ Kagami would go help him.

But the kid seemed unafraid. "I apologize. I was not aware that this alleyway belonged to you, and I was hoping I could use it to sleep in tonight. I can leave."

The leader snickered. "Oh you can, can't you?" He cracked his knuckles. "Sorry, but we don't take kindly to people who trespass on our territory."

The kid made to step around him, but the older boy blocked his path. "You're not leaving till you've paid for invading." He pulled his arm back, closing his hand into a fist, and swung down hard.

Kagami winced. That was going to leave a bruise, he thought. Until he realized the kid was no longer there.

He'd simply...vanished?

Just like this morning.

The gang members looked bewildered. "But he was right _there_!" "I didn't take my eyes off him for a _second_!" "What is he, a _phantom_?"

Kagami's eyes widened as he put two and two together. This was him! This was his man! But...where had he gone? His question was answered when he caught a glimpse of bright blue hair slip out from the shadows, leaving the confused gang searching in vain.

Kagami trailed the kid for several minutes, until he was sure they were alone on the dark streets. Then he cleared his throat. "Hey kid."

The kid looked up, startled. It only lasted an instant, however, before his face slid back into its usual impassive mask. "You again?"

Kagami approached him until he was standing just a few feet away. "Kid. You're the phantom, aren't you?"

The kid's eyes narrowed. "I do not know what you are talking about."

Kagami scowled. "I saw what you did back there, with that whole disappearing trick. Only it wasn't a trick, was it? Hey look, I want to ask you something...don't run, okay? You're a Miracle, aren't you?"

The kid bolted.

"Hey- _wait_!" Kagami cried, taking off after him. "Come back!"

The blue haired boy wasn't very fast, to Kagami's relief. He caught up with him, grabbing him by the arm before he could disappear again. "I'm not a Hunter! I want to help you!"

**********************************

When the redhead had asked Kuroko if he was a Miracle, his heart had plunged straight to his feet. Then he just _ran_ , ran like crazy, because he didn't want to die today.

But the redhead was fast, much to Kuroko's annoyance. He was caught instantly, and found himself staring into the redhead's eyes. His eyes were different, though.

They didn't stare at him with disgust or fear like other people had. They were honest and excited and hopeful and-

_Trusting_.

So Kuroko found himself listening to him as the redhead introduced himself as Kagami Taiga, and went on to explain Teikou Institute and the benefits he could reap by accompanying him. And he found himself agreeing after a bit of coaxing, because he trusted those eyes and the wide grin that split Kagami's face when he accepted.

"So kid, what's your name?" Kagami asked as they walked together towards Kagami's rented hotel room that they would stay in for the night before leaving to Teikou.

Kuroko paused, but gave in. "Kuroko Tetsuya."

"And your ability is what, invisibility?" Kagami prodded.

Kuroko shook his head. "No. It is more like the ability to blend into shadows, to go completely unnoticed. I have a naturally weak presence as well, so that helps too."

Kagami grinned. "Sweet. Sometimes I envy you Miracles."

Kuroko's face darkened. "I wouldn't. It is not pleasant to always be a target."

Kagami realized his mistake and quickly backtracked. "Ah, not that part. But to have those powers, to be unique. That's pretty awesome."

"Pretty awesome," Kuroko repeated. "Unique. You really think that way?"

"Sure," Kagami replied, placing his hands behind his head. "I mean, you guys have something that other humans don't. I'd feel pretty special if I were you."

"Huh," Kuroko muttered. Kagami was an interesting person. He gave himself a mental pat for choosing to trust him. Until they sat down at a restaurant to grab something quick to eat, that is.

Kuroko watched in fascination and disgust as burger after burger disappeared down Kagami's throat. He slurped his own vanilla milkshake, sure that Kagami must be a Miracle as well to fit that all inside him.

Kagami noticed him staring and glared. "What!?"

"Kagami-kun. You are disgusting."

"Wha-Kuroko! So blunt!"

"I apologize. But it's true."

"Don't apologize if you're just going to insult me, idiot!"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hope you all liked this chapter! Kuroko's pov is, and no offense to Kuroko, kind of boring to write in, so I switched to Kagami part of the way through to make it more interesting. Also, Kagami-kun is simple, so it makes it like 9,000 times easier ;)
> 
> The next chapter WILL be released soon, please review and tell me what you think!^_^


	3. Midorima

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The squabbles between Midorima and Takao.

Sixteen year old Midorima Shintaro cursed his luck for the millionth time, regretting being born in London. Why were the winters so _cold_?

Even with his lucky item for today, (a pair of plastic chopsticks) even though his sign had gotten a high ranking, (Oha Asa had ranked Cancers first) even though he had done absolutely anything and everything to ensure that he would experience the best of luck today, he still found himself shivering against the blustering wind as he searched in vain for shelter.

His last dwelling, an old abandoned parking lot structure, had been demolished to make way for a new fast food chain, Maji Burger, that had somehow spread all the way from Japan. Disgusting, Midorima thought idly as he wrapped his arms around himself. How could people willingly fill themselves up on grease and fat?

Of course, he thought as he poked through the dumpster behind the restaurant, he was most certainly _not_ doing it willingly, and had only turned to it as a last resort. And he most certainly did _not_ find their burgers delicious, he thought, his eyes lighting up at the sight of a clean, wrapped burger that someone had thrown out.

But even as he scarfed down the burger, (which was disgusting, but he had to eat it) he was still freezing to death. He needed to find some kind of refuge before he died of frostbite. That is, if the Miracle Hunters didn't get him first.

Swallowing the last bite of meat, he wadded up the paper ball and tossed it behind him, not even looking to make sure it landed in the trash can. He _knew_ it would make it. He always made it.

That was his power, after all. Midorima could not recall a single time in his life where he'd missed a shot. Be it guns, knives, pieces of chewing gum (for flicking at unsuspecting passerby), anything that could be physically projected from his hands, could not miss its mark.

Midorima walked throughout the cramped city, envying the people inside who were huddled under blankets and quilts. There was one place he could go; a small alleyway where the homeless often crowded together for warmth at night, but Midorima refused to think of himself as homeless.

No, he was a job seeking man who had yet to be blessed with any promising prospects of a bright future. But he would get there. Eventually.

After another half hour of aimless wandering, Midorima forsook his pride for desperate need of warmth and decided that he just might make a trip to that alleyway after all. Tucking his face into his flimsy scarf, he failed to notice the pair of icy blue eyes that watched him from the shadows.

It was quite a long way to that alleyway if he continued to take the main street, Midorima realized. It would make more sense to travel between the narrow buildings, though he was aware that thieves often hid there, waiting for a hapless person to come wandering through.

But Midorima was neither hapless, nor a normal person, so he slipped in between a passageway anyway.

He heard the other man long before he actually came into view, heard his heavy footsteps on top of the powdery snow, his loud breathing as he clicked his gun out of safety.

Midorima smirked, though he was only armed with a small pocketknife. This would be exceedingly simple. He concealed himself behind a corner and waited for the man to step into the perpendicular alley. Without glancing around the wall to uncover his opponent's location, he threw the knife, _knowing_ it would hit its target, _knowing_ , even without looking, that it would knock the gun from the man's hands.

And because he _knew_ that he would not miss, he leapt out from behind the wall, tackling the man to the ground and grabbing his fallen gun. Aiming it at his head, Midorima glared, sending him the message that it was futile to struggle.

"D-don't shoot," the man said, his voice quavering. "P-please, I wasn't gonna do anything wrong..."

Midorima lowered the weapon and the man sighed in relief, only to receive a knee to the temple seconds later, rendering him unconscious.

"Humph. Fool," Midorima snorted in disgust, lifting himself from his knocked out opponent. "Incompetent as usual." He was about to continue his way to his destination, when a cold, steely voice froze him in his tracks.

_"I saw what you did there."_

Midorima whipped around, bringing his newly found gun up to his chest in a matter of seconds. He found himself facing a boy perhaps his age, with icy blue eyes and straight back hair that hung over his forehead. He wore a white suit over a sky blue shirt. A black tie hung slightly askew from his neck, which irritated Midorima to no end. Why couldn't people take care of themselves?!

Anyway, who did this boy think he was? "Excuse me?" Midorima asked politely, resisting the urge to straighten the boy's neck tie for him. It was _bothering_ him!

The boy only smiled eerily. "I _said_ , I saw what you just did."

Something about this boy felt very off, as if there was much more to him than met the eye. There had been...Midorima swallowed slightly...there had been rumors that Miracle Hunters had been frequenting the area.

But they couldn't possibly know, he'd kept it a complete secret, had been so careful, had collected the lucky item for the day each day without fail...

"Please lower the gun," the boy said, still smiling. "I'd like to avoid violence."

That only made Midorima's suspicions arise further. "Who are you?" He tightened his grip on the trigger.

The boy's grin widened. "Just a person who happens to take an interest in Miracles like you."

That was all Midorima needed to hear. He fired the gun, then turned and ran, because he knew he would not miss.

So he was utterly shocked when he heard the boy's voice in his ear, an amused hint in his tone. "Never turn your back on your opponent, you know?"

Midorima's eyes widened. He'd missed, he'd _missed_ , but that wasn't possible because he'd _never_ missed-

But there was no time to dwell on it, because the boy grabbed his gun and knife, wrenching them from his hands and shoving Midorima against a wall. "Calm down-geez, quit kicking! _Ouch_ , I said calm _down_!"

Midorima only fought harder. "I won't let you kill me!" He growled.

The boy's eyes widened, and then he laughed. "I'm not a Miracle Hunter. If I were, you'd be dead. I want to help you."

" _Help_ me?" Midorima snarled. "Quit spitting out nonsense!"

The boy sighed, his arms straining in his attempt to hold Midorima down. "I apologize for the strange introduction earlier. But I've been following you around for a week, observing you, and I was really excited to see that you were a Miracle. There's only six left, you know."

"I know," Midorima spat. "And what are you? Some stalker?"

The boy looked sheepish. "Nah, I just work for a place called Teikou Institute. We work to find and help the Miracles, before they're completely wiped out. My name is Takao Kazunari. Yours?"

Midorima ignored him. "How do you expect me to believe something as foolish as that? There's no one out there who works to help Miracles. Everyone's been ordered to take them out on sight."

Takao rolled his eyes. "Then I would have killed you a week ago. Geez, I thought you were smart, ah...I didn't get your name yet, did I?"

Midorima deliberated, finally ceasing in his struggles to escape Takao and closing his eyes. It was true, he wasn't dead, and for the time being, Takao didn't look like he had any plans to kill him. "...Midorima Shintaro."

Takao's eyes lit up. "Ah, so Shin-chan!"

Midorima's eye twitched. " _Shin-chan?"_

Takao ignored him, chortling as he released Midorima from the wall and smiled brightly. "I'm pretty sure I know your power. It's accuracy, isn't it? The ability to never miss a shot! Not as flashy as the other one we just brought in, but hey, it would be useful in combat, eh?"

Midorima's eyes narrowed. "The other one? You've found one of the other Miracles?"

Takao nodded. "Just last week, my partner brought him in. His name is Kise Ryouta. He's a copycat, able to shift his appearance to mirror any person he's seen before."

"Where did you bring him in to?" Midorima asked, paying more attention to the beginning of Takao's explanation than the end. "Where are you taking us?"

"Our research lab, Teikou Institute," Takao said. "It's a facility in America."

"A lab?" Midorima asked, incredulous. "I'm no lab rat."

Takao snorted. "Of course you're not, Shin-chan! But we'd just like to uncover the source of your power, so that we can bring others like you into the world."

Midorima winced again at Takao's (rather uncivilized) chosen nickname for him, but nodded slowly. "And what's in this for me?"

"A normal life," Takao said simply.

And something about him, the look in his eyes, the sincerity that radiated from him, made Midorima believe him. "...Alright. I'll go."

Takao grinned, his eyes lighting up. "Yeah! Shin-chan!"

"Will you _drop_ that nickname!"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Midorima's so adorable:3  
> And his character's so easy to write:)
> 
> Please review!


	4. Murasakibara

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which snacks are life. Literally.

"Snaaacks," sixteen year old Murasakibara Atsushi moaned. "I want snacks." He'd been rummaging through his snack collection for the past ten minutes, and these year old twinkies weren't going to cut it.

It wasn't _his_ fault that he wanted to save the American snacks, since he rarely managed to get his hands on them in Germany. Who would have guessed that he would _forget_ the twinkies were there?

Sighing, he turned to survey the remaining cabinets in his tiny apartment he'd managed to rent for cheap. They were all nearly empty, and his paycheck from his delivery boy job hadn't come in yet. He was lucky to have even gotten that, he thought to himself, seeing that he'd dropped out of high school when he realized he didn't have the money to pay for college. 

Still, life was hard, especially when facing a crisis such as this one. What would he do without his snacks?

Reaching deep into his pockets with his oversized hands, he dug around before extracting the last few euros he'd obtained from his most recent check. He _had_ been saving up for a new refrigerator (the one he had now spoiled his food more often than it preserved it) but the urge to consume that delicious junk food called to him.

Well, when weighing the two on scales of importance...

"Ah, what the heck," Murasakibara mumbled, grabbing his house keys and heading for the nearest convenience store. He wanted a popsicle.

He purchased a box of eight, then promptly sat down on the curb to eat every single one of them, since his freezer would just melt them faster than if they were sitting in the sun.

Yawning, Murasakibara stretched out, crumpling the now empty popsicle box and tossing it in the trash. He was still hungry, but he supposed he'd just have to wait for tomorrow, when he got his paycheck

It was on days like these that he wished he'd stayed in high school. The cafeteria food was free, after all.

**********************************

There was nothing more pleasing than stepping into the grocery store with a full (well, sort of full) wallet and an abundance of snack foods waiting on the shelves.

Murasakibara ambled through the aisles, emitting pleased grunts every time he tossed a bag of potato chips or gummy bears into his cart. Of course, there was one thing he'd been craving for a while...

He felt a languid smile creep up on his face as he approached the shipment of twinkies that had just arrived from America, those cream filled cakes sent down from heaven, fluffy yellow sweet bread stuffed with a substance so smooth and rich that it made each of his taste buds come alive, a crumb so moist that-

His smile quickly morphed into a frown as he took in the fact that the twinkies were on the highest shelf, out of reach from even his 6'10 frame.

 _Who even_ puts _twinkies up there_ , Murasakibara thought grumpily, cursing the stupidity of the store manager. But he had come all this way for twinkies, and he wanted them now. He considered asking a worker for a ladder, but the help station was all the way at the beginning of the store.

Should he ask? Eeeh. Too much work.

So Murasakibara glanced to the left. No one.

He glanced to the right. Empty.

He glanced up at the twinkies. They beckoned.

Reaching up with one hand, Murasakibara activated his power just the _tiniest_ bit, quickly growing about five inches taller, just so he could grab three or four twinkie packages and toss them into his cart.

Suddenly, an odd sense of premonition crept up on him, and the feeling of being watched sent his stomach churning in nervous little flutters. Murasakibara glanced around uneasily, but no one was around, just as he'd thought. It was probably nothing, he thought to himself, continuing on his shopping spree. Using his power always made him nervous.

But he hadn't heard about any Miracle Hunters arriving in the area, so it should be fine, he thought, as he decided it was time to purchase his healthier food. In went the chicken nuggets and fish sticks. Perfect.

He hummed a little to himself, pushing his long lavender hair out of his eyes, and almost collided with another cart. "Huh-whoops, sorry, sorry," he mumbled, narrowly swerving.

"It's fine," a smooth, silky voice replied. Murasakibara jerked up.

A boy about his age stood before him, smiling. His dark hair covered one eye, and the other, marked with a birthmark beneath it, stared out at him with interest. He was well dressed, his white suit and black tie setting him apart from others, and he seemed to view Murasakibara appraisingly. "My, you're tall, aren't you?"

"Yeah," Murasakibara replied carefully, his premonition returning.

The boy straightened his tie, still smiling. "Can I talk to you outside for a minute?"

"Um," Murasakibara frowned. "Well, I hafta pay first-"

"Don't worry about that," the boy interceded. "I'll pay for your items. But there's something very important we should discuss first."

Now, some might call him stupid for accepting to go with this stranger whom he'd just barely met, who might possibly be a Miracle Hunter, but hey.

He was buying Murasakibara snacks.

For _free_.

He didn't even have to spend from his _paycheck_.

_New refrigerator, here I come!_

The boy led Murasakibara outside the grocery store, promising that his snacks would be taken care of as they walked to the back of the building. When the boy was sure they were completely alone, he turned to Murasakibara and cleared his throat.

"You are a Miracle, am I right?"

Murasakibara stepped back as if slapped, his conscious giving him a beating for not listening to his premonition. His mind whirled, wondering what he should do.  _Fight!_ his instincts screamed. _Crush him!_

But the boy held up a placating hand. "I am no Miracle Hunter. I only brought you back here so we wouldn't be overheard by anyone. My name is Himuro Tatsuya. I belong to a place called Teikou Institute, a facility that works to help Miracles--" he was cut off by Murasakibara's enlarged fist crashing down inches from his head.

Himuro only barely managed to dodge it unscathed. "Wait! Please listen to me!"

Murasakibara towered over him, at least ten feet tall at this point. "Don't wanna," he rumbled. "I won't let you kill me."

Himuro leapt on top of a dumpster to avoid Murasakibara's next blow. "I'm not here to harm you! I only want to help you _escape_ Miracle Hunters!"

"Prove it." Murasakibara eyed him warily.

Himuro took a deep breath, closing his eyes, and slowly placed his hands above his head. "I promise you I mean you absolutely no harm. The Miracle Hunter policy is kill on sight, correct? I would have killed you in the grocery store, the second I witnessed you use your power."

Murasakibara glared. "Did you really mean it when you said you'd buy me my snacks?"

Himuro's eyes snapped open in confusion. "Wha...I...yes...?"

Murasakibara smiled then, lowering his raised fist and shrinking back to his normal size-which was still huge. "Alright. I trust you. My name is Murasakibara Atsushi."

Himuro looked bewildered, but relieved that Murasakibara was no longer going to smash him. "Ahh...right. Nice to meet you, Mura-kun. So anyway, Teikou is an institute in America where--"

"Don't care," Murasakibara said complacently. "As long as I have snacks, I'm fine. Take me wherever, just give me my snacks."

"Oh." Himuro seemed a bit flustered, but he composed himself and held out his hand for Murasakibara to shake. "Well then, we'll leave for America tomorrow."

"Right," Murasakibara said distractedly, briefly grasping Himuro's hand while eyeing the grocery store. "Did you buy the twinkies?"

"My subordinate should have paid for them by now," Himuro replied, slightly disturbed by Murasakibara's obsession. "You can go get them now, I suppose. And tonight, I recommend you pack clothes and such. We'll leave for America tomorrow at five."

Murasakibara was too busy stuffing himself with twinkies to care. "M'kay."

Himuro watched the giant boy, perturbed. "I hope the rest of them aren't as strange," he muttered to himself, thinking of the two boys that had already been brought in.

At that, Murasakibara perked up. "There are people like me?"

Himuro glanced at him. "Yes, there are five others. You didn't know?"

"They are Miracles? I thought they were all dead."

"For the most part. You six are the last of them. That's why Teikou Institute is working so hard to preserve you. We care about your well being, and we'd like to avoid you being eliminated by the Miracle Hunters because of their misdirected fears." Himuro explained.

"Ah," Murasakibara nodded, looking excited for once. "I'd like to meet them. I've never met anyone else like me."

"You will, very soon," Himuro assured him.

"And I'd like to eat snacks with them. That's what friends do together, right?"

"...right. Right, Mura-kun." Himuro sighed inwardly. It would be a long plane ride home.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Murasakibara's life lessons 101: when given the choice between snacks or life, always choose snacks. Especially twinkies.


	5. Aomine

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Aomine is still a basketball idiot.

Sixteen year old Aomine Daiki walked through the slums of Japan, his eyes darting shiftily from left to right. He had a right to be cautious; the Miracle Hunters were out and about, and they were looking to kill.

Of course, it was kind of his fault they had been concentrating in this area. He'd been using his power too much, too flashily, had been far too reckless, and now he was paying the price. Someone had finally reported the "strange boy who seemed to simply disappear" to the authorities, and now they were hunting him down.

Everyone was an enemy. Although his face wasn't known, one slip up and someone could find out his true identity.

He took a turn down an alleyway he knew would lead him to the dumpster of that one fast food place, Maji Burger, whose food he was infatuated with but never had the money to pay for it himself. Even if he did have money, he realized, the first thing Aomine needed to do was buy a new pair of clothes. Winter was coming down with full force, and his threadbare pants and pathetic excuse of a white collared shirt just wouldn't cut it.

Not to mention his shoes, he thought miserably, staring down at the peeling, barely-held-together pieces of leather. He wanted basketball shoes, like those guys he'd seen on TV once.

They wouldn't be practical in the winter time, but basketball was the one thing that motivated him to keep on living. He'd been five when he first discovered it, and had taken to playing street ball with the other street kids whenever he could. Of course, his unnatural speed gave him an unfair advantage, but he would never go completely all out, in fear that someone would discover his power.

In reality, Aomine could reach speeds up to 100 miles per hour, but he'd only ever tried it once, when he was eight and desperately hungry. He'd stolen that loaf of bread so quickly, the shopkeeper hadn't even noticed it was missing before he was long gone. But going that fast took a toll on his body, and for hours, he'd been too exhausted to move faster than a slow walk.

And so for that reason, he'd only ever gone to half of his potential speed, a pace he could keep for hours on end. But people began to take notice, and he heard the whispers. "Wasn't he just over there?" And "How did he move so fast? There's something strange about this child, I swear."

So Aomine had stopped using his power, but it was too late. The authorities had taken notice, and he'd narrowly dodged several confrontations with Miracle Hunters this past week alone.

When he reached Maji Burger, he was pleasantly surprised to find an entire tray of burgers and even a plate of fries that were still warm. The burgers probably hadn't sold out in time, and were thrown away, but he would willingly eat them.

He sat down to gorge himself, aware that this might be the last decent meal he'd have in a while. As Aomine devoured burger after burger, he suddenly became aware of the presence of a young girl his age, standing about fifteen yards away.

Her pink hair reached her waist, and her matching eyes watched him with curiosity. She was well dressed, not something you'd usually see in this area, so Aomine raised his guard.

"Can I help you?" He asked around a bite of burger. He glared a bit, hoping to get the message across that she was _not_  welcome here.

The girl only smiled widely, tilting her head to one side. "Ah...yes, there is something I need." She blinked her overly large eyes, tucking her hair behind one ear.

Aomine frowned. "What's a pretty girl like you doing out here, and in such fancy clothes? Don't you know it's dangerous?"

"But that's just what I need you for!" The girl exclaimed, stepping closer to him. "I'm sure a Miracle like you could easily get me out of here, safe and sound!"

Aomine choked on his burger. He'd never heard of a Miracle Hunter being so young! But then again, he couldn't trust anyone. They were using this pretty young girl to deceive him, to capture him, to kill him...

He leapt lightly to his feet, prepared to bolt. "Who are you?" He hissed. "What do you want from me?"

The girl only sighed. "You wouldn't listen anyway, so instead..." She reached into the folds of her clothing, and that was all Aomine needed to see before he bolted.

Call him a sissy or whatever for running from a girl, he didn't care. He'd seen exactly what these Miracle Hunters could do, and he wasn't interested in taking any chances. It was best to escape while you were still uninjured.

He picked up with his speed until he was traveling at a rapid 40 miles per hour. She would never catch him! He'd never been caught in his life...

Until he ran smack into the net strategically positioned around the next corner.

"Uwah!" Aomine cried as the ends snapped shut, and he was hoisted into the air upside down. "Hey--let me out! Let me down!"

Seconds later, the pink haired girl rounded the corner, a satisfied expression on her face. "You boys are so simple minded. So easy to read. It was easy to predict that you'd run towards the alleyways rather than the main street, so that's where we set our trap."

"You-you're a Miracle Hunter?!" Aomine yelped, the blood rushing to his head since he was still suspended upside down. "You're just a little girl!"

The pink haired girl looked miffed. "A little girl who was able to outsmart a dimwit like you."

"Hey!" Aomine cried indignantly, though he was sure death was only a few seconds away. "I'm no dimwit!"

The girl rolled her eyes. "Anyway, let's get down to business. My name is Momoi Satsuki, and I work for Teikou Insti-"

"What are you doing?" Aomine asked her blankly.

Momoi's eye twitched at the abrupt interruption. "Hah?"

"Well, why are you introducing yourself if you're going to kill me?" Aomine looked puzzled. "It's not like I'll remember it if I'm dead."

Momoi smacked him upside the head, causing him to yelp again. "I'm not going to kill you, you idiot."

"We really did snare a stupid one, didn't we?"

Both Momoi and Aomine turned to stare at the newcomer. A man with shoulder length black hair, rectangular glasses, and a wide smile stepped into view. "Good job Momoi-san. I knew I could count on you to subdue him for us."

Momoi beamed. "Thank you Imayoshi-san, though it wasn't all that difficult. This one is simple."

"I'm not simple!" Aomine snapped, sick of all the confusion. "Can you people explain who you are, because I'd like to know if I'm going to die or not. Are you Miracle Hunters? But even if you are, I'm _not_ a Miracle. I'm completely normal. You must be confusing me with some other guy, because I'm really just an innocent civilian. I could sue you for this, you know. In fact, you're lucky I don't-"

"My name is Momoi Satsuki and this is Imayoshi Shoichi," Momoi cut him off. "And we work for Teikou Institute. Teikou is a facility specifically built for finding and aiding the remaining Miracles of this world. And there's no point in trying to hide it any further," she said pointedly. "No normal person can run 40 miles an hour."

"I can run a lot faster than that," Aomine put in, bragging a bit. "But hey, if you guys want to help me, why am I hanging upside down in this net?"

"Because," Momoi said. "It was obvious you wouldn't listen to us if we confronted you normally. You're the hot-headed idiotic type. So, if you don't mind, we'll just leave you in there until we can convince you that we're not here to hurt you."

"I do mind," Aomine grumbled, squirming so that he was no longer upside down. He crossed his legs in a sitting position and eyed them warily. "So what is this whole Teikou Institute place?"

Momoi's eyes lit up, and she launched into a detailed explanation of the facility, describing each particular branch, their ultimate goal, specific jobs for each worker, on and on and on until Imayoshi's eyes had glazed over and Aomine finally interrupted irritably.

"Okay! Okay, I get it! Geez, so noisy."

Momoi glared. "You wanted an explanation. I gave you one."

Aomine sighed. "This is really weird for me. I've never heard of this place before, and I really don't trust you guys that much. Just this week, there was an old lady- _an old lady!_ -who was really a Miracle Hunter. Almost took off my head," he told them matter of factly.

Momoi looked sorry for him, but she was also biting back laughter. "An old lady? For real?"

"She had a _laser pistol!_ " Aomine stressed. "Who even knew those things _existed?!_ "

"We're off topic here," Imayoshi interrupted. "By the way, we never learned your name."

"Huh? It's Aomine, Aomine Daiki." Aomine replied. "And I guess I've made up my mind. Since you guys haven't tried to kill me with a laser pistol yet, I'll go. But on one condition."

Imayoshi looked relieved. "And that condition is...?"

Aomine shoved his foot through one of the holes, sticking it in Momoi's face. "I want basketball shoes."

Imayoshi face-palmed as Momoi shrieked and slapped his foot away. "Alright, we'll get you basketball shoes. And new clothes, too."

"And food," Aomine continued eagerly, having forgotten all his earlier doubts about them being Miracle Hunters. "And a basketball so I can play, and a uniform like those guys on TV. And also-"

"Enough!" Momoi slapped him over the head again. "You aren't getting a single thing, you stupid brat!"

Aomine frowned. "I was just gonna ask--you said you already found four other Miracles besides me? When can I meet them?"

"As soon as we get back to America," Momoi answered.

"Alright!" Aomine cheered. "So, can you guys let me out now?"

Momoi glanced at Imayoshi. Imayoshi sighed. Grabbing the net, he slung it behind his shoulders and began walking. "Let's go, Momoi-san."

"Wha-Hey! Let me out! You promised! _Hey!_ "

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Akashi's chapter is coming up next!:)


	6. Akashi

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Akashi is absolute. Don't question it.

Sixteen year old Akashi Seijuro was absolute.

He knew he was absolute, because he hadn't been caught, not once in his sixteen years.

If he had, he would be dead.

He was a Miracle, after all, and although he was fully aware of the dangers that his kind faced, he was proud to be set apart from the puny human race, to be _unique_.

Only his father was aware that his son was a Miracle, but Akashi wasn't too worried. His father would never turn him in. He would be too afraid to blemish the Akashi name, to mar its perfect record of absolute perfectness.

His mother had known too, but she had died long ago. She had been the only one to ever support Akashi's powers.

_Powers_ , not _power_.

He had two. All the more reason he was absolute.

One was what he liked to call the Emperor Eye. His father had scoffed at him for picking such a name, but Akashi liked it. It was so fitting, since he was so absolute.

Did he mention he was absolute? Just in case he didn't, he was. Absolute, that is.

Anyway, his Emperor Eye allowed him to see into the future. Fifteen seconds into the future, precisely. It was very useful when manipulating people.

His other power was the ability to share his strength with others. Akashi wasn't so sure how he felt about that one. Why share his strength when he could keep it all to himself? Logic.

But overall, Akashi was very proud of his two powers. Those, and the fact that he had red hair and heterochromatic eyes, even though he was Russian.

It enhanced his unique flair.

**********************************

Akashi passed his father the salt.

His father frowned. "Stop doing that, Seijuro."

"Why?" Akashi asked. "You were going to ask for it anyway."

"Don't give me the salt until you actually hear those words coming from my mouth."

"I did hear them," Akashi replied smartly. "In your mind."

His father glared, a look that was terrifying enough to send the bravest man running. "Don't get smart with me, boy. I'll turn you into the authorities."

"Yes, Father," Akashi replied meekly, spearing a piece of meat with his fork. Then he passed his father the mashed potatoes.

Needless to say, Akashi spent the rest of the night in his room.

**********************************

Akashi was very fortunate compared to the rest of the Miracles. He was born into a wealthy family, received food and shelter, a high education, and loving parents.

Well, parent. But the loving one was dead now.

But still, he was very privileged, and was able to live a much freer life than his fellow Miracles, though he had never met them personally.

He _had_ heard of them though. Through all those top secret connections, you know. Connections that only the absolutest of the absolute had access to.

Which meant that Akashi was right up there with the best of them.

But Akashi couldn't really bring himself to care about the remaining Miracles. They weren't a part of his life, therefore they did not affect him. So he didn't worry himself with the rest of his kind, and instead focused on preparing the best future for himself that he possibly could.

He went to his piano lessons like an obedient child:

"Seijuro," his father began.

Akashi placed his hands on the keys and began playing 'Clair de Lune'.

 His father glared fiercely. "Stop doing that, Seijuro."

"Why?" Akashi asked. "You were going to ask me to play that song anyway."

His father looked annoyed. "What did I do to be cursed with a Miracle of a son?"

"When you put it that way, Father," Akashi began conversationally. "It sounds more like you're pleased that I'm your son."

"Be quiet, Seijuro. Now-"

Akashi began playing 'Moonlight Sonata'.

"Seijuro!"

"Yes Father?"

"You are only to begin playing 'Moonlight Sonata' when I tell you to begin playing it!"

"Yes, Father."

"Good. Now-"

Akashi began playing 'Unravel'.

The door slammed as his father left the music room.

**********************************

Akashi continued his acts of small rebellion for months on end, enjoying the torment it caused his irritable father, and the fact that there was nothing he could do about it.

Technically, Akashi wasn't doing anything _wrong._

"Seijuro." 

"Here, Father." Akashi handed his father his coffee mug. His father's eye twitched.

"Put it back, Seijuro."

Akashi returned it to the shelf.

"Hand me my coffee mug, Seijuro."

Akashi gave him his mug. Then he turned to leave the room.

"I didn't dismiss you yet, Seijuro!"

Akashi sighed, facing his father. His father took a long drink of coffee, watching him from behind him mug. "You are dismissed, Seijuro."

Akashi let the door slam.

**********************************

"Seijuro!" His father called from the downstairs of their mansion. "Come down here! There's someone who would like to meet you!"

 "I know, Father. I'm already on my way down."

Akashi stepped into the sitting room, only to see a boy who couldn't be more than seventeen, and who donned a head full of bright orange hair. He smiled when Akashi entered, a canine poking out from the side of his mouth.

For some reason, Akashi couldn't read him. He attempted to look into the future, to obtain a quick glimpse at what this boy might possibly want, but he could not. The boy seemed to know what he was doing. "No point, Akashi-kun! I'm impossible to read, because I'm unpredictable, even to myself! Heck, even I have no idea what I'm gonna say next, Akashi-kun!"

Akashi frowned. "That's Akashi-san to you. Or you can call me Absolute-sama, whichever you prefer."

"Well, Akashi-kun, I'm here to talk to you about your powers!" The boy continued chirpily. "And the fact that you're a Miracle!"

Akashi froze. Of all the things this boy might have come for, Akashi had not been expecting this.

His father watched with a satisfied look. "Your powers aren't working, Seijuro?"

Akashi ignored him. "Who are you, if I may ask?"

"Hayama Kotaro!" The boy replied, grinning toothily. "And before you ask-no, I'm not a Miracle Hunter."

Akashi relaxed. Somewhat.

He couldn't necessarily trust that his father wouldn't try to dispose of him using some surreptitious method. "How can I be sure?"

"Well," Hayama began. "I work for Teikou Institute-"

"I believe you then," Akashi cut him off. "No further explanation is required."

Hayama looked puzzled. "Huh?"

"I have connections," Akashi waved him off dismissively. "I've learned all about Teikou Institute. I also have confirmed that you are actually a member, judging by the name you gave me. And I already know what you will offer me. A normal life in exchange for the okay to run a few tests and whatnot. I've been expecting you for a while, so I've already thought through my answer. I will go with you, since it means leaving this-" he jerked his thumb behind him. "Poor excuse of a father."

His father glowered. "Seijuro, you-"

"Ungrateful little brat, yes Father, I know," Akashi finished for him. "But it no longer matters what you think, because I am leaving this place. Goodbye, Father."

Poor Hayama looked confused, but he nodded. "O-okay! Great! Saves me time and air!" He chuckled nervously. "Ahhh...guess you know what you need to do to prepare! Well, see you at five tomorrow at the airport!" And Hayama hurried out the door, looking quite unnerved.

Akashi turned to his father, smiling pleasantly. "Well, so long Father."

"So long, you-" 

"Insufferable ingrate. Yes Father, I know."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I love Akashi because he is a muffin. Funny thing is, I absolutely hated him until I got into the fandom. Then I fell in love:) But Aomine is still my favorite.
> 
> And I just had to throw a Tokyo Ghoul reference in there xD


	7. The First Meeting

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Everyone meets everyone. Things happen.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I've been bad:( I haven't updated in a week. Mostly, it's because I've been lazy but I also got a really good idea for another story, so I took a break from this and just started typing everything that came to mind. I might publish it eventually, but not any time soon.
> 
> Note: Japanese honorific terms such as 'senpai' and Kise's famous 'cchi' will be used throughout this story even though not all of the characters are Japanese, since I feel it helps me write them in character.

"KISE, GET YOUR PAWS OFF OF THAT!!! IT'S FRAGILE!!!"

Kise yelped as Kasamatsu kicked him in the shin hard enough to leave a sizable bruise. "Owwww, Kasamatsu-senpai! I'm sorry, I'm sorry, geez!"

Kasamatsu glared at him, folding his arms. "What are you, a two year old? You've been at Teikou for two days and you've already broken three of our microscopes! Can't you keep your hands to yourself?"

Kise chuckled nervously, rubbing his neck. "Well...since I came from the streets, most of this stuff is pretty new to me...I can't help but be interested!" He flashed Kasamatsu a hopeful smile.

Kasamatsu sighed. "Alright, I understand your interest. But maybe try directing it somewhere else? Like tomorrow, one of your fellow Miracles is coming in."

Kise's eyes brightened. "Yay!~ I can't wait to meet them!" He danced around in his Teikou-issued white suit and black tie that complimented his golden hair and eyes perfectly. "What are they like? Boy? Girl? Tall? Mini? What's their power? What do they-"

Kasamatsu whacked him over the head. "Quiet, idiot! Geez, if I try to be nice, you go crazy! It's a boy whose name is Kuroko Tetsuya, but that's all I really know."

Kise looked like he was ready to burst. "I can't wait!" He flung out his arms, hitting the microscope he'd been fiddling with earlier and sending it crashing to the floor.

An ominous silence filled the room. Kise turned pale.

"KISE!!!"

**********************************

After receiving a rather thorough beating from Kasamatsu, Kise escaped to his bedroom. He lay on his bed now, thinking about all the changes that had taken place these past couple days.

He had flown to America in an airplane (a _real_ airplane!) and was brought immediately to Teikou Institute. Kasamatsu had introduced him to the leaders.

Kise wasn't too sure how he'd felt about those particular people. They were too cold and impersonal, peering down at him with analytical gazes that made him feel like a fly under a magnifying glass.

He liked the warm personalities of the Trackers much better. Most of them were adolescents not much older than he was, but they all excelled physically and mentally. They were responsible for locating the rest of the Miracles, and they all seemed genuinely concerned about their well-being.

Kasamatsu had been the Tracker assigned to find Kise, so now he also acted as his caretaker. He accompanied him everywhere and was surprisingly kind under his gruff exterior, helping to clean Kise up when he'd eaten too much and had thrown it up afterwards. He'd spanked him for it later, but Kise just hadn't been able to help himself around all that food. After years of not having enough to eat, there was no way he would hold back!

Anyway, back on track! The tests wouldn't start until the rest of the Miracles arrived, so in the meantime, Kise would wander around the building examining things (and breaking them). He couldn't wait for the arrival of his fellow Miracles, Kise thought excitedly, squeezing his pillow to his chest.

This was going to be fun!

**********************************

"This is so _boring_ ," Kise moaned the next day. The first Miracle besides him had finally arrived, the one called Kuroko. They were seated in the same room, trying to get acquainted with each other (well, at least Kise was trying. Kuroko just sat there and stared at him blankly).

Kuroko shrugged. "I am sorry. I am not very talkative." He clutched his pet dog in his lap, absentmindedly stroking its fur.

Kise tapped his foot. "Well then, why don't we _do_ stuff? Show me what your power is! I'll let you see mine!"

"I don't really care-" Kuroko began, but Kise was already dragging him out of his seat. "Come on, Kurokocchi! Please!"

Kuroko sighed, standing in the center of the room. Kise watched him eagerly.

Then Kuroko vanished.

Kise's eyes widened in shock. "Wooooah, how'd you do that? That's so cool!~ I'll show you mine!"

Kuroko rolled his eyes, reappearing from the shadows to watch Kise.

The golden haired boy grinned. Then his image began shimmering and changing until he was an exact copy of Kuroko. "Neat, huh? What do you think?"

Kuroko cracked a small smile. "...That's interesting."

"Yay!~ Kurokocchi!"

**********************************

Midorima arrived next, and Kise's first impression of him was that he looked like broccoli. Of course, he didn't say that to his face. That would be rude.

"Say, Midorimacchi, have you ever considered the fact that you closely resemble a certain green vegetable?" Kise asked carefully.

Takao, his Tracker, bit back his laughter. " _Midorimacchi_? That's worse than Shin-chan!"

Midorima just looked annoyed. "I was expecting my fellow Miracles to be a bit more mature."

"I am mature!" Kise said indignantly. "And so is Kurokocchi!"

Midorima gave him a blank stare. "Who?"

"Me," a quiet voice came from directly beside Kise. Kise jumped a mile and Midorima shouted something unintelligible, shoving Takao in front of him. Only Takao looked unsurprised.

"K-Kurokocchi, when did you show up?" Kise stuttered.

"I was here the whole time," Kuroko said. " _He_ saw me."

Takao shrugged. "You've just gotta look at him the right way."

Midorima composed himself, stepping out from behind Takao. "I was well aware of your presence. A bug flew in my eye, is all." Shoving his glasses up his nose, he stalked off, dragging Takao with him.

Kise sighed. His fellow Miracles were a lot stranger than he thought they would be.

**********************************

"Hello!"

"Eeeh...? Hello..."

"My name is Kise! What's yours?"

"...Murasakibara Atsushi."

"Wow! That's a long name! What's your power?"

"I grow big."

"...oh. That's very...nice...I guess..."

"Eeeh...do you have snacks?"

"Huh? I don't, but the kitchen has a whole bunch! But Kasamatsu-senpai doesn't let me sneak into the kitchens, so if we can just get past him..."

"Huh? Oi, Kise!"

"Ahh! Run, Murasakibaracchi, run!"

**********************************

"Wow, Aominecchi, you're so cool!" Kise cried, in awe of his extreme speed. "I wish I could be like you!"

"Don't give him a big head!" Momoi, his Tracker, told Kise. "Any bigger and it'll fall off his shoulders!"

"So, can you show me how fast you can go?" Kise ignored Momoi, his eyes shining.

Aomine grinned. "Yeah, why not?"

Kise waited. "Alright, are you going to do it?"

"Huh? I already did. You didn't see?"

"Woah! That was so fast! You're awesome!"

"Don't let him trick you Kise, he didn't actually do anything!" Momoi yelled, whacking Aomine. "Don't pretend you're better than you are, idiot!"

Aomine winced. "Okay, okay! Here, I'll show you how fast I really go!" He took off, a blur of brown and navy.

"Wow, Aominecchi! Oh wait, don't go over there! That's where the microscopes-"

_CRASH._

...

...

"Run, Aominecchi, run!"

**********************************

Akashi was the last to arrive. He stood in front of the Miracles imposingly, though he was barely taller than Kuroko. Somehow, his flaming red hair and cold, knowing eyes made them all feel as if they should be kneeling at his feet.

Kise was the first to break the tension. "Hello! My name is Kise Ryouta, this is Kuroko Tet-"

"I already know."

Akashi's voice was sharp and crystal clear, cutting through him like a knife.

Kise shivered.

"I already know all about you. I am absolute."

"Ah...well, what's your name?" Kise asked, hoping to bring back the warmth to the room.

Akashi's chilling eyes bored into his. "Akashi Seijuro. Remember it, insect. And bow at my feet."

Aomine snickered. "Ouch."

Akashi blinked at him, and Aomine gulped. "Uh. Never mind."

Akashi gave them all one last glance before picking up his bag and heading off towards his room. On his way out, he turned back and flashed them a smile. "I look forward to making your acquaintance." Then he was gone.

"Um." Kagami cleared his throat. "Am I the only one who feels like he'd rather impale us with a pair of scissors?"

"No," Kuroko admitted. "I also got that distinct impression."

Needless to say, Akashi became their unofficial leader. No contract was signed, no verbal agreement took place.

They all just knew it.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So if anyone notices a SINGLE spelling or grammar mistake, I'd appreciate if you'd let me know in the comments. Nothing bothers me more than those little errors!
> 
> And I know this is short, but I'm gonna update soon! I promise!>_


	8. Shopping! (And Basketball)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The Kiseki no Sedai go shopping. Kasamatsu mourns his pay check and everyone is a basketball idiot.

Akashi was pleased to see that upon his arrival, each Miracle and most of the Trackers immediately accepted him as superior. He _had_ been taught by his father how to make a strong first impression.

When the bubbly blond boy had attempted to step out of line, Akashi had quickly shown his dominance, therefore assuming the role of the alpha in the pack. Needless to say, Akashi had proven his absoluteness. 

All of the Miracles were assigned to one big dorm with six beds. Their Trackers all slept next door, ready to help them if, say, Murasakibara got lost on his way to the bathroom and mysteriously ended up in the pantry. That had happened three times already, by the way. Akashi was beginning to think it wasn't a mere accident.

Akashi quite liked the sleeping arrangements. He was able to assert complete authority when sharing a room.

"Daiki. Quit stealing Midorima's spectacles."

"Ryouta. Quiet down, you're giving me a migraine."

"Atsushi. Eating that many snacks before dinner isn't healthy. Try some banana chips."

"Daiki, enough running."

"Daiki, slow down."

"Daiki, go to bed!"

"Daiki, don't stay up too late! The tests commence tomorrow."

Finally, Aomine had snapped. "Okay! Geez, what are you, my mother? Get off your high horse, general!"

Akashi raised an eyebrow. "Are you testing my absolute authority, Daiki?" He said in a soft voice.

Aomine realized his mistake. "Ah! No! Just...lay off a little, okay? Please?"

Akashi sighed, as if speaking to a petulant child. "Daiki," he chided. "I am merely looking out for your well-being. Believe me when I say I have your best interests in mind."

Or maybe it was just that he liked to be in control. And because he felt that the Miracles were just poor, uneducated children, and he was the best one to guide them. And maybe because he cared about them. But only a tiny bit.

 _Well_ , Akashi thought to himself. _It's only reasonable to want to take care of those who are worse off than you. Therefore, my reasoning is justified._

And with that, the Emperor rolled over and went to sleep.

**********************************

"Alright, everyone is here."

Imayoshi stood in the center of the lab facing the Miracles, who stood by their assigned Trackers. He glanced up from his clipboard, peering over the edge of his glasses.

"My name is Imayoshi Shoichi. I'm the head Tracker of Teikou, and I will also be overseeing the tests that we run. We'll start off small right now, just a few blood samples, but as our studies progress further, we'll further examine your bodies and have you perform certain physical activities to gauge the limits of your abilities. I'm assuming you have no problems with this arrangement?"

Akashi shook his head. He'd known most of this beforehand. Aomine looked slightly uncomfortable but didn't protest, and Murasakibara was content with sucking on a lolly.

Imayoshi gave them a curt nod. "Good. Trackers, you stay with me. Miracles, go with one of the medics. They'll be taking you to separate rooms to draw blood."

Akashi followed his medic out of the room. She was a short, gray-headed woman who seemed to be slightly nervous about being alone with him.

Akashi watched her closely. "Calm down."

The woman jumped slightly. "I-what?"

"Calm down," Akashi repeated. "You have nothing to worry about. Unless you intentionally do something to upset me."

If anything, the woman looked even more uncomfortable. "Ah...yes...well, take a seat here if you will..."

Akashi sat down in the black leather chair. He surveyed the room he was in. It was fairly small, only about eight by eight feet. The walls were lined with syringes.

The woman grabbed a cotton ball and dipped it in a bit of rubbing alcohol. Swabbing his forearm, she prepared a needle. "Well...I'm going to do it now, so..."

Akashi nodded, lifting an eyebrow in annoyance. "Get on with it."

She lowered the needle to his arm and was about to insert it into his vein when a loud wail from the next room caused them both to jump.

"N-no, wait! I-I changed my mind about this! N-no, d-don't put it in my arm! I-it'll hurt! Kasamatsu-senpai! Heeeeelp!!!"

Akashi sighed, tuning out Kise's blubbering and turned back to the medic. "Proceed."

The woman nodded, laughing a bit shakily, and quickly extracted the blood. Akashi didn't even flinch.

The woman busily began transferring his blood to a test tube, and Akashi watched with slight interest. "What are you going to do with it?"

"Huh? Oh, well, we give it to the head scientists to analyze and come up with data. Once they've collected enough, they'll start to break it down. Our goal here is to discover what it is about you Miracles that gives you the abilities you have." The woman explained, shifting slightly from one foot to the other.

Akashi noticed this, but didn't comment. It was probably nothing. "Ah. I see. Well then, if that's all, I'll be going."

"Right! Of course! Go ahead!"

Akashi left his room at the same time that Kise was leaving his. The blond looked incredibly shaken, whimpering as he clutched his forearm. A yellow plastic bandaid had been hastily stuck on the small incision, and Akashi could see the tiny dot of dark blood from underneath.

Upon seeing Akashi, Kise flung himself towards him. "Akashicchi! Did they do it to you too?"

Akashi carefully extracted Kise's arms from around him. "Let go, Ryouta. It was just a little needle."

"B-but it _hurt_." Kise's golden eyes stared at him imploringly.

The redhead sighed and patted Kise on the arm. "If this makes you feel better, Ryouta, I can tell it not to hurt anymore. I am absolute. Therefore, if I order it to cease hurting, then it shall."

Kise perked up. "You can do that? Really?"

Akashi nodded. "Stop hurting, cut." He felt rather foolish, but hey, if it stopped Kise's whining...

Kise looked amazed. "Wow! Wow!~ You did it! It doesn't hurt!" He danced down the hallway to Midorima who was just exiting and grabbed him by the shoulders. "Akashicchi's amazing!

"Idiot," Aomine snorted from behind him.

"He is rather dense," Kuroko commented, suddenly appearing next to Akashi.

Aomine jumped. "Wah-Kuroko! Quit appearing out of nowhere!"

"I was here the whole time."

"Akashicchi! Akashicchi!" Kise came bounding back towards him. "Earlier, Kasamatsu-senpai said that we could go out later today! As in, outside! As in, to stores and stuff! He said that we could all go because it was 'a new experience that he hoped we could enjoy now that we lived here at Teikou'."

Aomine perked up. "Stores? Can I buy basketball shoes?"

Midorima looked vaguely interested. "I do need to purchase a lucky bracelet."

"Snacks?" Murasakibara asked hopefully.

"Then it's decided!" Kise cheered. "We're going shopping!" He bounced back towards the lab, the rest of the Miracles in tow.

The Trackers seemed to be in the middle of an important discussion when Kise burst through the doors. "Kasamatsu-senpai!~ Let's go shopping!"

Kasamatsu frowned. "Right now?"

"Shopping!" Momoi exclaimed, clapping her hands together. "I love shopping."

Akashi had been watching this scene unfold without saying a word, but now he cleared his throat. The room immediately quieted.

"Your enthusiasm is much appreciated...but who's paying?"

Everyone turned to look at Kasamatsu. The blue eyed boy frowned. "What?"

**********************************

"I can't believe this," Kasamatsu grumbled as he forked over _five whole dollars_ for Midorima's lucky item-a cheap looking plastic bracelet. "Why do _I_ have to pay? I'll have spent my entire pay check for the last three months by the end of this trip!"

"Because, Kasamatsu," Momoi said sweetly. "You're a gentleman, and you wouldn't make a lady like me pay, would you?"

Kasamatsu opened his mouth to protest. "Kagami's perfectly capable of-"

"Man, these shoes are awesome!" Aomine cut him off, holding up a pair of black and red basketball shoes. "I can't wait to try them!"

"Seventy dollars for those," Kasamatsu muttered. " _Seventy dollars!_ "

Takao whacked him on the head. "Get over it. This is the first time the kid's ever held a decent pair of shoes."

"Aominecchi, you play basketball?" Kise asked, staring at him in admiration. "What's it like?"

"It's the best!" Aomine informed him. "And the only one who can beat me is-"

"Me," Kagami cut him off. "Not to brag or anything, but I'm one of the best out there."

Aomine rounded on Kagami. "You think you can beat me?!"

Kagami smirked. "You're probably trashy without your extra speed. I'd beat you any day if we played fair!"

Aomine sat down on the ground in the middle of the sidewalk, ignoring Momoi's protest of how he was getting dirty and "People are _staring!_ ", and pulled on his basketball shoes. "Let's go! Nearest court!"

Kagami grinned. "You're on."

"You're both wrong," Akashi cut in. Both boys turned to stare at him. "I am the best player there is. I am always right, so I always win."

Aomine looked ready to attack Akashi, so Himuro quickly cut in.

"Alright, how's this? We'll play a game; the Miracles against the Trackers. Of course, Momoi won't play, so one of you will have to sit out as well. The team who wins will then play against each other, like a mini tournament, until only two people are left. They'll then play against each other for first place. It won't be completely accurate, but we'll get a rough idea of who the top players are."

Aomine's eyes blazed at the challenge. "You got it."

"Of course," Himuro added. "We'd all need basketball shoes."

Everyone turned to Kasamatsu.

"No! No way! I won't!"

**********************************

Ten pairs of new basketball shoes later and a very disgruntled Kasamatsu, the twelve found themselves standing on a cement court, facing off.

"So, who's gonna sit out?" Kise asked. Everyone glanced at Kise.

"Hah?!" Kise cried. "No, I wanna play!"

Murasakibara stepped up, gripping his bag of snacks ( _fifty-six dollars!_ ). "It's okay, Kise-chin. You can play. I just wanna eat snacks."

"Yay! Murasakibaracchi!" Kise cheered. "Thank you!"

Murasakibara just stifled a yawn, ambling over to a park bench and sitting down heavily. Ripping open a bag of chips, he sat back to watch the match.

Momoi threw the ball up into the air.

"Begin!"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I had to throw in a basketball game. It couldn't be a KnB fic without a basketball game (:


End file.
